Former NBA All-Star Believes Andrew Wiggins Will Have “Best Years” On Miami Heat

The Miami Heat and Erik Spoelstra have a knack for maximizing each player's skillset on their roster.

This was the case for Jimmy Butler, who was acquired by the Heat from the Philadelphia 76ers via sign and trade. Not only did Butler become a superstar, he became one of the best players in the Heat’s franchise history. Andrew Wiggins was exchanged for him as Butler went to the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 5.

On Jeff Teague’s Club 520 Podcast, they expressed how they felt about the potential boost the Heat will get from Wiggins and how he will have a chance to revitalize his career.

“I’m really not excited about the Warriors, but I’m more excited about the Miami Heat getting Andrew Wiggins,” Teague said. “It gives him a chance to get back out there. He’s one of those guys that can fit on any team because he plays defense, and he’s always going to get 20 points. So he’s going to fit in easily with that Miami Heat team. It probably will be one of the best years he’s going to have next year when he gets used to the team. Spo gets the best out of players.”

Wiggins averaged 17.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists on 44.4 percent shooting and 37.9 percent from three-point range with the Warriors this year.

MIAMI HEAT’S ERIK SPOELSTRA SHARES THOUGHTS ON JIMMY BUTLER’S DEPARTURE

Through all the suspensions and drama, the Miami Heat remained above .500 as six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler was traded to the Golden State Warriors.

Coach Erik Spoelstra spoke about his feelings on how the Heat handled the distractions and rallied together above the play-in tournament.

“The way I looked at it, every team is going to be dealing with something during the course of a long 82-game season,” Spoelstra said. “You can make excuses, you can get distracted, and do a lot of things to take your mind off the task at hand. I really commend our group for staying the course and coming in every day to try and get better. We’re trying to figure things out, and I think we’re getting a little better at role clarity.”

He praised his guys for persevering and accepting a different guy could contribute to each game. He was proud of the team leaders for helping keep a good feeling in the locker room.

“Our young guys continue to make strides. It’s not going to be every single game. In some games, different guys step up, and other guys don’t play great. That’s part of the deal. I’m enjoying seeing the leadership from Tyler and Bam. They’re really helping guide this group through everything that’s going on. I enjoy the spirit of this group. You develop some grit when you go through this kind of stuff.”

BREAKING NEWS: MIAMI HEAT MAKE LAST-MINUTE MOVE BEFORE TRADE DEADLINE

The PJ Tucker and Miami Heat reunion lasted less than 14 hours as he was traded for Davion Mitchell of the Toronto Raptors.

The Heat traded Tucker, a second-round pick, and cash considerations for Mitchell, dropping the Heat below the first apron.

Mitchell averaged 6.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 4.6 assists on 43.4 percent shooting and 35.9 percent from three-point range with the Raptors.

His playstyle is similar to Dru Smith, who had a breakout season for the Heat before tearing his achilles earlier in the year. Without Smith, the Heat lost a major defensive piece to their team and one of their only point-of-attack defenders.

The Heat’s defense has been inconsistent since Smith went down, and Mitchell and Andrew Wiggins are great additions under Erik Spoelstra’s system. He has led the Heat to being ranked top 10 in defense in seven of his last eight seasons.

Mitchell is a restricted free agent and can be a long-term piece after this season if they choose to resign the fourth-year guard.

Bryan Townes is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at btownesjr@gmail.com or on X @bryantownesjr11. Follow our coverage on Facebook.